How to split the restaurant bill?

[Karwomannghia]

I’ve booked a restaurant to visit with a friend and had to pay £10 deposit.
When we go and we get the bill, how do we split it? Obviously just going halves.

@EarringsandLipstick

She’s pay £50 and me £40.

Oh OP!

No - you paid but £10 to start with. So you also paid £50.

There are a few ways of putting the sums together. But the bottom line is that the gap will always be £10.

I meant that as job done all equal!! That’s what’s paid of the remainder!

I attempted to give her £5 but she laughed in my face. How do I manage that?

Well now you are out of the 'maths problem' territory!

Tbh, this is friendship in my view. She gets it this time, you the next. Whether that's the Uber, deposit or tip

@EarringsandLipstick

I attempted to give her £5 but she laughed in my face. How do I manage that?

Well now you are out of the 'maths problem' territory!

Tbh, this is friendship in my view. She gets it this time, you the next. Whether that's the Uber, deposit or tip

Indeedy

If she gets the uber and you get the deposit, and they both total 10 each, then just split the bill in half.

But the bottom line is that the gap will always be £10.

Exactly. The gap will always be the deposit that you paid OR twice what she owes you.

Say she owes you 6 for something you picked up for her from the store then the difference in your bills will be 12. Because she gives it to you and you place on the table then both pay the difference!

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

If she gets the uber and you get the deposit, and they both total 10 each, then just split the bill in half.

Ok to take this as a mathematical problem where we look at numbers rather than social etiquette, deposit does not equal Uber. Uber total back to friend’s house approx £5 of which my trip half.

@Lessthanaballpark

But the bottom line is that the gap will always be £10.

Exactly. The gap will always be the deposit that you paid OR twice what she owes you.

Say she owes you 6 for something you picked up for her from the store then the difference in your bills will be 12. Because she gives it to you and you place on the table then both pay the difference!

Yeah I did get there in the end!

Not to complicate things, but it depends on what you both order too...?

If she has lobster & champagne, you have a salad & water..?

If there's only two of you I'd just ask for the bill, add up what you've each had and pay separately - I wouldn't worry about the fiver, she books next time?

I did actually go out the other day with some friends and 2 shared a bottle of champagne £60 whereas me and another got Prosecco £27. I paid- assumed she’d get the next one. She didn’t, we went home! I should’ve halved champagne with her!

You have paid an extra £10 ie the deposit. When the bill comes she pays an extra £10 to balance this out.

Yeah. When I was on the spot I thought I was doing her out of £5 doing it like that but I know I wasn’t.

When the bill comes, it will be minus the £10 deposit. So if, say, it's £50 , you both pay £25 and she gives you £5.

@Karwomannghia

I did actually go out the other day with some friends and 2 shared a bottle of champagne £60 whereas me and another got Prosecco £27. I paid- assumed she’d get the next one. She didn’t, we went home! I should’ve halved champagne with her!

You paid the full drinks bill? Yeah you were stung, CFs!

I've had to split bills before for expenses, it's usually no drama (depending on the restaurant/waiter)- I'd ask for a pen and tick off what to split and they bring back two separate ones. The deposit can be taken off yours?

@butterpuffed

When the bill comes, it will be minus the £10 deposit. So if, say, it's £50 , you both pay £25 and she gives you £5.

Yea that would work but I was trying to figure it out her without making 2 payments and split the bill to make it up.

I didn’t pay the champagne as well! Just the Prosecco thinking it would be cheaper (I actually prefer it- cheap date) but I ended up paying the same as half a bottle of champers anyway!

@Karwomannghia

I didn’t pay the champagne as well! Just the Prosecco thinking it would be cheaper (I actually prefer it- cheap date) but I ended up paying the same as half a bottle of champers anyway!

Ah right! But if she didn't pay her half the Prosecco she wouldn't have paid half the champers- is this the same friend your out with today?

I would just absorb the cost. But it's different for different people. Depends on where you are at money wise.

@Lemonlemon88

I would just absorb the cost. But it's different for different people. Depends on where you are at money wise.

Or I could be sharing a maths puzzle.

Frazzled no there were 4 of us, 2 shared champagne and split it. Me and other shared a bottle of Prosecco thinking it would be cheaper but I paid for it all so it didn’t end up any cheaper than champagne! Not an issue though!

@Karwomannghia

Frazzled no there were 4 of us, 2 shared champagne and split it. Me and other shared a bottle of Prosecco thinking it would be cheaper but I paid for it all so it didn’t end up any cheaper than champagne! Not an issue though!

So the friend you shared the Prosecco with didn't pay her half, but the two who shared the Champagne split the cost...free night for your Prosecco pal!? Why didn't she pay her half, or did you pay thinking she'd offer you her half after? You said you thought she'd get the next one but didn't?

You sound generous OP and I understand the not wanting to cause a fuss, but things like this have a potential for you being taken for granted when it comes to bill paying and causing rifts in friendships -

Today I'd be upfront about lunch/deposit/bills - there's nothing wrong with being assertive.

How did lunch go OP?